# Virtual Villagers 3 vs Potion Permit

The clearest difference is update cadence: Potion Permit at every 3 weeks against Virtual Villagers 3's every 11 months. Potion Permit also leads on rating (4.4 vs 4.1). Virtual Villagers 3's advantage is price ($0.99 vs $6.99) and review sentiment (66% vs 40%). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Virtual Villagers 3 costs $0.99 and Potion Permit $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Potion Permit holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 229 and 519 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 66% of Virtual Villagers 3's written reviews are positive against 40% of Potion Permit's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Virtual Villagers 3 ships an update every 11 months, Potion Permit every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 18, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Virtual Villagers 3 | Potion Permit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$0.99** | $6.99 |
| Rating | [4.1 (229 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-villagers-3/id336705448/reviews) | **[4.4 (519 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/potion-permit/id6450713964/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 229 | **519** |
| Positive reviews | **66.3% of reviews** | 40.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#49** | #179 |
| Size | 55 MB | 477 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [LDW Software, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/297606729) | [Playdigious](https://appshunter.io/developer/1041387229) |

## What reviewers say

### Virtual Villagers 3

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-villagers-3/id336705448)

**Currently charting:** #49 Top Paid · Family, #180 Top Paid · Simulation (US App Store)

Nurture a tribe of people by teaching them survival skills. Manage their food, housing, research, and health as your village grows. Explore a ruined city and uncover its secrets in real time.

**Highlights:** Real-time weather and gameplay, Village management and survival, Research and technology development, Explore and rebuild a ruined city, Craft unique potions, Raise and age villagers

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Addictive and fun gameplay
- 🚀 Interesting puzzles and challenges
- 💡 Unique island setting and story
- 👍 Enjoyable virtual villager experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔋 Food sources run out too quickly
- 🐛 Glitches with statue and lift
- 🐛 Villagers randomly dying of starvation

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes when accessing details screen
- Villagers get stuck at top of statue hill
- Gems/resources disappear or become inaccessible
- Villagers refuse to perform certain tasks
- Inconsistent villager aging and reproduction

**Requested features**

- Ability to pause or freeze game time
- More food sources and ways to produce food
- Larger and more detailed villager sprites
- Ability to name and customize villagers
- More puzzles and content to extend gameplay


### Potion Permit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/potion-permit/id6450713964)

**Currently charting:** #179 Top Paid · Role Playing (US App Store)

Step into the role of a chemist tasked with healing a town that distrusts modern medicine. Diagnose illnesses, gather ingredients, and brew potions to cure the townsfolk. Build relationships, upgrade the town, and live the life of an apothecary in a charming, colorful world.

**Highlights:** Diagnose and cure illnesses, Gather ingredients and brew potions, Upgrade buildings and expand areas, Build relationships with townsfolk, Find love with a sweetheart, Team up with a loyal dog

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💎 Great atmosphere and relaxing gameplay
- 👍 Cute and charming visuals
- 🎨 Enjoyable story and characters

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔍 UI/UX problems on mobile devices
- ⏱️ Lack of frequent autosave

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to exit certain menus
- Fishing mini-game not functioning properly
- Potion quests not triggering correctly

**Requested features**

- Add more customization options for player character
- Implement a manual save feature
- Improve performance and reduce crashes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Virtual Villagers 3 free?

Virtual Villagers 3 costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Potion Permit free?

Potion Permit costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Virtual Villagers 3 or Potion Permit?

Potion Permit is rated higher. Virtual Villagers 3 averages 4.1 out of 5 from 229 ratings, while Potion Permit averages 4.4 from 519 ratings.

### Do Virtual Villagers 3 or Potion Permit have ads?

Neither Virtual Villagers 3 nor Potion Permit shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Virtual Villagers 3 or Potion Permit?

Virtual Villagers 3 ships an update every 11 months, and Potion Permit every 3 weeks. Most recently, Virtual Villagers 3 was updated on October 18, 2026 and Potion Permit on October 18, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Virtual Villagers 3 or Potion Permit?

Virtual Villagers 3 currently peaks at #49 in the App Store charts, and Potion Permit at #179. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*